Keener 13

Another precedent set by ESPN.. College softball star Lauren Chamberlain posed nude for the network’s website. “I said yes for the girls around the world who might see the issue and see someone who looks like them — someone who’s thicker, bigger not as jacked as the typical athlete — and that could give them that boost to love their bodies.” Being older and heavier than I was when first on the air, I totally love this woman.

Will you be buying a Mega Millions ticket on Tuesday night? CNN says your chances of winning the estimated $475 million jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning. Continue reading “What We’re Talking About – June 3” →

One thing hasn’t changed in broadcasting over the years: The sponsors drive the bus. Back in radio’s golden age, it was pretty overt.  The A&P Gypsies, Champion Spark Plug Hour, The Clicquot Club Eskimos, King Biscuit Time, (yup, just like the more recent King Biscuit Flower Hour), The Voice of Firestone and The Bell Telephone Hour, are all examples. As long form radio made the transition to television, some of the sponsor named programs came along.

On June 27, 1960, hoping to maintain its dominance in the soft drink marketplace, Coca Cola presented “The Coke Hour”, featuring a cast that the ABC network hoped would appeal to a teenage audience. Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, Annette Funicello, Anita Bryant, Edd “Kookie” Byrnes and Bob “Maynard G. Krebs” Denver were the guests. The reliable Pat Boone was the host. Continue reading “Coke Time – When Coca Cola went after the Teen Audience in 1960” →

It became a catchphrase for a generation. We fade in on an underwater scene where a young man is chasing after a bathing beauty. When they surface, he’s shocked and embarrassed. “Mrs. Burke, I thought you were Dale!”

Caroline and Dale Burke were picked from 100 auditioning couples to talk about how Grape Nuts cereal keeps you looking so young, people will find it hard to tell mother and daughter apart.

“The day of our scheduled interview my daughter, Dale, and I dressed alike, clear down to our shoes, earrings, and wrist-watches,” Caroline Burke wrote in 2003. “By the time Mrs. Salter, the agency representative, left, we were pretty sure we had at least a chance to compete for this commercial. Lots of interviews and questionnaires and photo sessions later, we were told that we were among the top ten teams. They would call in two weeks. One day my son, Adam, who was six years old at the time, came dashing out into the backyard to where I was working in the garden. ‘Mom!!’ he shouted. ‘Phone! It’s New York!!’ It was three-fifteen in the afternoon. I don’t remember the date. ‘Caroline?’ a voice from New York asked. ‘Yes!’ I said. It was Paul McDonough, the Producer. ‘Congratulations!’ he said. ‘You won!'” Continue reading “Mrs. Burke! I thought you were Dale” →

Scroll down to hear our interview!

Keener original, Robin Seymour, has written a long awaited autobiography. “The DJ That Launched 1,000 Hits” is a fascinating read and a required addition to the library of every true Keenerfan. We caught up with Robin, now in his 9th decade of life, for a taste of the treasures to be found in his extraordinary memoir.

Child radio actor disk jockey television star, rock band manager, marketer, infomercial trailblazer and author; All of these apply to the renaissance man that is Robin Seymour. At the time of our visit, Robin was in his 90s, one of the last living connections to the original staff members at Keener’s predecessor, WKMH (Lee Alan, Dave Prince, Paul Cannon, Bill Phillips, Ray Otis and Jim Sanders and Bob Green are other notable names). His memories of a career that spans over 8 decades were still sharp, as is his recollection of a pivotal conversation with WJBK legend Ed McKenzie. The man who portrayed the station’s popular “Jack The Bellboy” said to the teenage weekend part timer, “So you think you want to make radio a career? Don’t. You will always be on the outside looking in.” Continue reading “Robin Seymour Remembers” →

We’ve been featuring some awesome cover bands recently. Leonid & Friends, Tim Akers & The Smoking Section and The Fendertones are three good examples. Leonid’s dead on recreation of Chicago’s hits captures even the most discerning purist. Check out “25 or 6 to 4“. Tim Akers band actually improves on the tunes they cover. Check out “Uptown Funk” and “Shake It Off” to see what I mean. And the Fendertones homage to the Beach Boys, while not exactly hitting the mark, comes close enough for us to sing along. They weren’t afraid to look deep into the Beach Boy cannon to record rarities like “Monkey’s Uncle” from the Disney film of the same name. In this visual generation, watching the video production is as much fun as listening to the music.

Take a listen to the four selections in today’s Much More Music section and see parts of their performances don’t remind you of somebody else y0u know well.

Quick Takes:

Apple sets March 25 as the date for its “special event”, likely announcing streaming and news services. Via @CNBC

HBR’s take on what big consumer brands can do to compete in the digital economy.

“Do your homework then trust your gut.” How leaders at the top make big decisions. Via @jacobsmedia

Fatal distraction: Tech’s worry as D.C. bares fangs. Via @axios.

On This Date In History:

1956: Dow Jones closes above 500 for 1st time (500.24)
1965: The Beatles finished the filming of the movie Help! in the Bahamas.
1965: James Darren was a guest voice (as “Jimmy Darrock”) on the season finale of The Flintstones on ABC-TV.
1968:  The Rolling Stones began recording “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” with their new producer, Jimmy Miller, at Olympic studios in London.
1972:  NHL great Gordie Howe retires after 26 seasons
1973: Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In airs its final episode on NBC-TV

Released on This Date:
1965: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs – Wooly Bully
1967: The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
1973: Stevie Wonder – You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
1975: Parliament – Chocolate City
1978: Bob Dylan – Masterpieces
1979: Peaches & Herb – Reunited
1980: Billy Joel – Glass Houses
1981: The Rolling Stones – Sucking In The Seventies
1985: Kool & The Gang – Kool & The Gang At Their Best

Happy Birthday to:
(1922) Jack Kerouac (d. 1969)
(1931) Herb Kelleher (d. 2019)
(1940) Al Jarreau (d. 2017)
(1941) Barbara Feldon
(1946) Liza Minnelli
(1948) James Taylor
(1949) Mike Gibbins (d. 2005)
(1950) Jon Provost
(1957) Marlon Jackson

Much More Music:
They sound just like…

1968: “Sally Had a Party” – Flavor: This Washington, D.C. area garage rock band released three singles on Columbia Records. The firs, “Sally Had a Party” (b/w “Shop Around”), became a regional hit that scraped the national charts. It peaked at #18 on Keener in August of ’68. It’s organ licks smack of Spenser Davis’ “Gimmie Some Lovin”. (Video)

1971: “Fresh as a Daisy” – Emitt Rhodes: His debut at LA’s famous Troubadour was concurrent with an earthquake, prompting his ABC/Dunhill Records PR team to take out an add with the tagline, “That wasn’t an earthquake, that was Emitt Rhodes opening at the Troubadour!” “Fresh as a Daisy” never charted on Keener, but Emitt’s sound-alike resemblance to Paul McCartney lead to a 2010 documentary entitled The One Man Beatles. (Video)

1991: “Mustang Sally” – Andrew Strong: We’ve met some people who thought that Andrew Strong WAS Wilson Pickett. Written and first recorded by Mack Rice in 1965, The ode to Ford’s innovative sports car gained greater popularity when Wilson Pickett covered it the following year. This Irish singer took his version to a whole new level in the 1991 film “The Commitments” (Video)

Today’s Quote Worth Re-quoting: “I wish my bed was as comfortable when I go to bed as it is when my alarm goes off.”

One More for the Road: Speaking of Elton John. The Edgar Winter Group, stole a bit of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” for this track from 1974’s “Shock Treatment”. “River’s Risin” peaked at #33, but in our view was worthy to be included in our Keener power playlist.  (Video)

55 years ago today, Detroit was digging out of an unexpected 4 inches of snow. Doesn’t seem like much for those of us who have endured northern winters these past few years, but the Motor City was blanketed just before the morning rush and the road crews couldn’t keep up.

1964 was also an Presidential Election Year and on this date, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge upset presumptive Republican nominee Barry Goldwater as a write-in in the New Hampshire Primary. New York Governor, Nelson Rockefeller came in a distant third.

Six members of “Parents Against Encouragement of Violence” picketed the 61st American Toy Fair in New York City. Among the toys on display were cap pistols (remember them?), miniature tanks and bazookas. I wonder how those parents would react to today’s video games?

An ad in today’s paper in 1964 promoted a 10 day jet tour package to Hawaii on Trans World Airlines, including accommodations at a Waikiki Beach Hotel for just $449.00. If that sounds cheap, in today’s dollars, it would be $3,661.17.

Elvis Presley‘s film, “Kissin Cousins“, was rolling into its second week at number one at the Box Office. (Trailer)

The Beatles held down the top 3 spots on the week’s Billboard Hot 100, a record that Adele recently broke after 55 years.

#1: I Want to Hold Your Hand – The Beatles
#2: She Loves You – The Beatles
#3: Please Please Me – The Beatles
#4: Dawn (Go Away) – The 4 Seasons
#5:Java – Al (He’s the King) Hirt

Quick Takes:

Jeopardy ace, Ken Jennings, on the “irreplaceable” Alex Trebek. via @NYTimes

What Google wants to know about you. Via @Axios

Why we need AI; Audience Intelligence: “Knowledge is power. Audience Intelligence – radio’s AI – is a superpower. It goes to the heart of how the smartest, most strategic radio broadcasters will innovate their way to a successful future, despite the headwinds, hardships, and challenges. “ ~@jacobsmedia

Today In History:

1967: “Yesterday” by the Beatles became the most covered version in history with 446 versions since the Fab Four released it in 1965.

1968: Otis Redding‘s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” is certified Gold, three months after his death in a plane crash.

1969: The Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records.

1970: In addition to The 5th Dimension‘s Record of the Year win at the Grammys for “Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In.” Blood, Sweat & Tears is nominated for a record 11 awards, win three, including Album of the Year. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young win Best New Artist.

1971: Jim Morrison leaves for Paris to reorient himself emotionally and creatively and to avoid the jail sentence given to him in Miami. He will never return to the US.

1994: The Supremes receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2016: Keith Emerson, the keyboard player and primary music composer in Emerson, Lake & Palmer, dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 71.

Albums Released on This Date:
1968: Manfred Mann – Up The Junction
1970: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu
1972: Harry Chapin – Heads And Tales
1974: Chicago – Chicago VII
1975: Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare

Happy Birthday to:
(1903) Lawrence Welk (d. 1992)
(1926) Ralph Abernathy (d. 1990)
(1934) Sam Donaldson
(1947) Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge)
(1950) Bobby McFerrin
(1952) Douglas Adams (d. 2001)
(1957) Cheryl Lynn
(1971) Johnny Knoxville
(1989) Anton Yelchin (d. 2016)

Much More Music:

1947: Happy Birthday to Vanilla Fudge lead singer Mark Stein born in Bayonne, New Jersey on this date in 1947. His band made its name covering soul hits in psychedelia. The band has been cited as “one of the few American links to what soon became heavy metal. The Nice, Deep Purple, Yes, Styx, Led Zeppelin, and Uriah Heep all site Vanilla Fudge as an influence.  “Set me free, why doncha babe..” (Video)

1965: Tom Jones scored the first of 16 No.1 songs in the U.K. with “It’s Not Unusual”. He eventually recorded less, preferring the more lucrative Las Vegas stage. Jones and his idol Elvis Presley met in 1965 at Paramount, when Elvis was filming Paradise, Hawaiian Style. They became lifelong friends, spending more and more time together in Las Vegas and duetting until the early hours at Presley’s private suite. (Video)

1970: The 5th Dimension win the Record of the Year Grammy for “Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In.” Written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado and Gerome Ragni (lyrics), and Galt MacDermot (music). Bill Holman arranged the music, which was recorded by the Wrecking Crew. The actual recording is something of a “rarity”; the song was recorded in two cities, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, then mixed together in the studio. (Video)

Today’s Quote Worth Re-quoting: “If you put all your strength and faith and vigor into a job and try to do the best you can, the money will come.” ~Lawrence Welk

One More for the Road: I have to admit that the second half of today’s “one for the road” got old pretty quick. “I’ve Seen All Good People” has its fans, but the repetition of the hook became tiresome. Not so with the opening movement, “Your Move.” The lyrical metaphor of chess as a descriptor of a love affair mixes well with the acoustic guitar opening, the swelling keyboards and background chorus. In the modern world of on-line messaging, I’ve purposely miss-heard the John Lennon reference, “Send that instant karma to me” as “Send an instant comment to me.” Across the sands of time, this one endures as a classic that never gets old. (Video)

The sheer output of excellence from singer/songwriter Jimmy Webb is astonishing. He polished the musical brands of Glen Campbell, The Fifth Dimension, Art Garfunkel, Richard Harris, Linda Ronstadt, The Three Degrees and The Highwayman. His tunes were eclectic, with complex musical structures and rich arrangements. The cherries on top were the rich lyrics, completing delectable dishes that sometimes frightened the artists they who originally commissioned them. The commonality that made him rich was his ability to craft singable hooks in memorable musical packages that grabbed us from the first measure and didn’t let go until the last.

His success as a performer was uneven. “Crying In My Sleep” was his one recording to make a significant dent in the Hot 100. But his immortality lies in the words and music he passed on to others. Thousands of artists have sung his stuff and many a performer owes their financial security to the gifts he gave them to share.

Our Much More Music section this Friday is all Jimmy Webb. It was hard to choose which 4 to feature, but I think you’ll find a favorite in the group.

Quick Takes:

This is what tech at its best is all about. So glad @iraflatow’s brother is ok. Love the EKG feature on my Apple watch.

Amazon’s Alexa can “Name That Tune”. But she can’t hit a post or nail a vocal. (Radio peeps will know exactly what I’m talking about.)

Facebook’s future is private messaging, says CEO Mark Zuckerberg; the company is “shifting its focus away from public posts to encrypted, ephemeral communications on its trio of messaging apps,” which also include Instagram and WhatsApp.

Some initial intel on Disney’s forthcoming Streaming service. Via @Gizmodo.

How to turn a lemon into lemonade. Meet @TimAppl16758879. Not super easy to remember but s very smart #PR move.

Congratulations to Steve Schram and the Michigan Radio Team on being named MAB Public Radio Station of the Year.

Today in History:

1964: The Dave Clark Five performed ‘Glad All Over’ on the first of 18 appearances on CBS-TV’s ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.

1966: Lulu became the first British female singer to appear behind the Iron Curtain when she began a concert tour of Poland with the Hollies.

1969: The Small Faces disbanded with the departure of lead singer Steve Marriott who left to form Humble Pie.

1970: After parting with the Supremes, Diana Ross gave her first solo concert performance at the Monticello Dinner Theater & Night Club in Framingham, Massachusetts.

1971: Radio Hanoi aired Jimi Hendrix‘s version of ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’

1979: Rolling Stone magazine reported that inflation had dramatically increased the cost of making and promoting a major label album to a new total somewhere between $350,000 and $500,000.

1993: ‘Beavis and Butthead‘ premiered as a series on MTV.

1999: Actress Peggy Cass died of heart failure at age 74.

1999: Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio died of lung cancer at 84.

Happy Birthday To:
(1910) Claire Trevor (d. 2000)
(1921) Cyd Charisse (d. 2008)
(1943) Lynn Redgrave (d. 2010)
(1945) Micky Dolenz
(1946) Randy Meisner
(1947) Carole Bayer Sager

Much More Music:

1968 “Wichita Lineman”  – Glen Campbell: Wichita Lineman has been referred to as “the first existential country song”. British music journalist Stuart Maconie went so far as to call it “the greatest pop song ever composed”. Jimmy Webb wrote many of Campbell’s hits and worked with him throughout his life. When he died, Webb called Glen “The American Beatle”, saying that Campbell could play with “any guitar player in the world, from George Benson to Eric Clapton,” adding that Paul McCartney himself considered Glen among the best guitar players.  (Video)

1969 “Worst That Could Happen” – Brooklyn Bridge: Originally recorded by  the 5th Dimension for their LP, The Magic Garden, Johnny Maestro focused his powerful pipes on the tune one year later, turning it into the Brooklyn Bridge’s only major hit.  “Worst That Could Happen” appeared on the list of songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel following the September 11, 2001, attacks, specifically listing the The Brooklyn Bridge version, but not the 5th Dimension version, despite their note-for-note similarity. That’s  Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” from the incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dreamat the end.   (Video)

1970 “The Girl’s Song” – The 5th Dimension: This one didn’t gain much traction when it was released in 1967 on “The Magic Garden” LP, a collection full of Jimmy Webb compositions. It became a top 10 Adult Contemporary hit and ended up on the group’s “Greatest Hits” collection, where it caught the attention of DJs and charted in the top 40 in 1970. (Video)

Today’s Quote Worth Re-quoting: “I believe strongly in inspiration, inspiration literally meaning ‘full of the spirit.’ I do believe that it comes to you.” ~Jimmy Webb

One more for the road:

1968 “McArthur Park” – Paul Schafer & the CBS Orchestra: Originally intended for the Association and rejected by producer Bones Howe because of its “ambitious arrangement and unorthodox lyrics”,  Richard Harris was the first to record “McArthur Park” in 1968. His version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 after WABC’s Rick Sklar decided that 7:28 wasn’t too long a track for a Top 40 station. It was subsequently covered by numerous artists, including a hit version in 1969 by country music singer Waylon Jennings. It became one of jazz trumpeter, Maynard Ferguson‘s signature tunes. Donna Summer‘s disco arrangement from 1978 reached number one. The performance we feature here includes Jimmy Webb, himself, on keyboards with Paul Schafer and the CBS Orchestra. This magic moment happened during one of the final David Letterman broadcasts and is one of my personal faves.  (Video)

The holy grail for every artist is to create a musical “hook” that bores into the audience’s mind like an ear worm. Think about Paul Anka’s “Diana”, the opening bars of “Day Tripper” or the grating chorus of Rick Dee’s novelty record, “Disco Duck”. They stick with you like the memory of your first kiss, or, in the case of Dee’s contribution, heartburn after a spicy meal. Here’s a link to Billboard’s take on the Top 25 Best Pop Hooks of all time. As you might imagine, The Beatles hold down number one on that list with, “I Want To Hold Your Hand”.

Hooks are a universal concept. In the parallel social media universe, their equivalent are hashtags, truncated words, preceded by a pound sign (#). Just like hooks in music, some hashtags attract more interest than others. Chris Sabanty, writing for Hubspot cites research that reveals how the right hashtag hook can generate over 1000 percent more engagement. The trick is figuring out which one works on a given day.

Our friend Scott Owens found this out yesterday when he posted a short video where Jason Priestley‘s Beverly Hills 90210 character, Brandon Walsh, meets the late Luke Perry‘s Dylan McKay. The combination of a popular trending topic, compelling video and the right hashtag shot his “retweets” through the roof. The website tagdef.com, analyzes and lists popular and trending hashtags in the Internet’s usual #UpToTheMinute style.

In the world of business and politics, the hashtag / hook analog is the sound byte. “Fake News” is the most notable example from the last couple of years. “Where’s the Beef” and “It’s the Real Thing” are advertising illustrations. Winston Churchill added a term to the world’s lexicon on this date in 1946 when he created the memorable sentence, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

What’s the #TakeAway? Adding the right #hooks to your #vocabulary can amplify your message and improve your audience engagement.

Quick Takes:

Hashtag of the day – #TB: “Throw Back” is one of the most popular conversations on social media. We all love the past!

It’s P?czki day in Detroit! Ready for Fat Tuesday? We Floridians have work harder to find this delicious decadence.

Procrastination Tuesday: A former CIA guy teaches you how to spot lies on @YouTube.

When was the last time you answered your phone when you didn’t know who it was? How Audience Research has been disrupted by Tech. Via @jacobsmedia

Today in History:

1953: After 29 years in power, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 74.

1955: Elvis Presley makes his first television appearance, performing on the Shreveport radio show “Louisiana Hayride,” which on this occasion was simulcast by local station KSLA-TV.

1957: Disc jockey Alan Freed guests on To Tell the Truth on CBS.

1962:  The Marvelettes became the first Motown act to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS-TV.

1969: The first issue of the rock magazine Creem was published. “America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine” ceased operations in 1989.

1980: Actor Jay Silverheels, who played “Tonto” in the long running Lone Ranger TV series, dies following a stroke at 67.

1982:  John Belushi dies as the result of a drug overdose at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles at age 33.

Happy Birthday to:
(1908) Rex Harrison (d. 1990)
(1938) Fred Williamson
(1946) Murray Head
(1955) Penn Jillette
(1956) Teena Marie (d. 2010)
(1958) Andy Gibb (d. 1988)

Much More Music:

1959: “Dream Lover” – Bobby Darin:  Darin went into the studio on this date in 1959 to record “Dream Lover”. Produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, it was an early success for the Atlantic Records Atco label and was the precursor to his breakout smash, “Mack the Knife“. Darin started his career as a songwriter for Connie Francis. He was married to actress Sandra Dee from 1960 to 1967. He worked on Robert F. Kennedy‘s presidential campaign and was present on the night of June 4/5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the time of Kennedy’s assassination. An early bout with rheumatic fever weakened his heart and drove him to accomplish as much as he could as soon as he could. He died on  December 20, 1973 following heart surgery at age 37.  (Video)

1966:  “Tijuana Taxi” – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass: This week in 1966, the TJB owned the top two album spots on the Billboard LP chart. Going Places took over at #1 from Whipped Cream & Other Delights. “Tijuana Taxi” was the first cut on side one of Going Places. The fascination with Alpert’s unique musical style lead to five number one singles on the Adult Contemporary chart. By 1969, their popularity was in decline, although Alpert as a solo artist would earn another number one ten years later with “Rise”. (Video)

1986: “You Can Call Me Al” – Paul Simon:  On this date in 2007, Simon’s Graceland album joined the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction”, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins and the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” on a list of recordings chosen by the United States Library of Congress for preservation by the National Recordings Registry. Graceland became Simon’s most successful studio album and his highest-charting album in over a decade selling 16 million copies worldwide. The music video, featuring Saturday Night Live alumnus, Chevy Chase, was an MTV fave.  (Video)

Today’s Quote Worth Re-Quoting:  “Never give in. Never surrender.” ~Galaxy Quest

One more for the road: By now, you know that we are fans of well produced records with full orchestration and an arrangement that accentuates the artist’s strengths. Such is the case for this chestnut: Michael Bublés “Save The Last Dance for Me“. Taken from his second major-label studio album, It’s Time, the tune gained a following when it was played over the closing credits of the 2005 film The Wedding Date. It has a great #hook and a the perfect arrangement for Michael’s crooner constitution. Enjoy! (Video)